Vincent Antenucci, a New Jersey State Trooper, sought to avoid repayment of approximately $29,000 in salary overpayments that accumulated over several years due to an administrative error in his pay classification. After being promoted in 2012, Antenucci was mistakenly placed at a higher salary le
Chris Callaway, a Texas Ranger, had seen more than his share of trauma. By 2017, the job had taken its toll, and he took medical leave for alcoholism and PTSD. He transferred back to the Criminal Investigations Division in 2018, then took more leave in late 2019 for inpatient treatment.On January 15
The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) filed an improper practice charge after the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) terminated William MacDonald, a Plant Utility Engineer 1 at Hudson Correctional Facility who also served as the CSEA local president.
Christopher Handler, a corporal with the Brunswick Police Department in Maryland, received two letters of reprimand in August 2023: one for a speeding complaint and another for alleged unprofessional conduct toward a supervisor. Neither incident involved misconduct toward a member of the public. Han
Brad Wendt, the Chief of Police of Adair, Iowa, also owned two firearms stores. After obtaining Special Occupancy Tax status allowing him to purchase machine guns, he began writing “law letters” on Adair Police Department letterhead — ninety of them over four years. He claimed machine guns were for
The Village of Hatch Police Officers Association in New Mexico filed a prohibited practice complaint after the Village unilaterally terminated its take-home vehicle (THV) program in September 2025. The program, implemented through a 2020 resolution and general order, allowed officers to take poli
Camille Smicz, a longtime 911 dispatcher for the Deschutes County, Oregon 911 Service District, sought workers’ compensation benefits related to her duties as a dispatcher. “Over her 20 years as a dispatcher, [Smicz] assisted by phone with many alarming and disturbing situations,” and in filing her
On November 12, 2024, Bruce Markovich, the Lansford Borough Council President in Pennsylvania, approached Sergeant Shawn Nunemacher, the FOP Schuylkill-Carbon Lodge 13 representative, as he entered the Borough office. Markovich began speaking first, pointing his finger but remaining outwardly cal
The Director of Unfair Practices for the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission dismissed an unfair practice charge against the City of Camden, holding that the City’s outside labor counsel lacked the authority to bind the municipality to a settlement agreement in the disciplinary matter
On January 23, 2022, Massachusetts’s Medford Firefighters Union President Walter Buckley filed a Step 1 grievance challenging the City of Medford’s refusal to allow firefighter Thomas E. Dunn to assume a light duty position. On May 20, 2022, Buckley filed another Step 1 grievance protesting the Ci
A Clark County juvenile probation officer in Nevada was terminated after a federally required background check revealed that he had failed to disclose prior discipline and had resigned from a previous position while under investigation for misconduct involving juvenile residents. The County determi
Vincent Antenucci, a New Jersey State Trooper, sought to avoid repayment of approximately $29,000 in salary overpayments that accumulated over several years due to an administrative error in his pay classification. After being promoted in 2012, Antenucci was mistakenly placed at a higher salary le
Christopher Cooper, a corrections sergeant assigned on detached duty to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Training Academy and serving as Vice President and Chief Grievance Officer for the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association (PSCOA), filed a grievance alleging that an into
As technology evolves, so too must the practices and policies that govern its use. In recent decades, the fire service has adopted tools like location tracking at incident scenes, remote SCBA monitoring, and live-streaming from thermal imagers. These advancements have expanded our operational capabi
HARTFORD, CT — The city of Hartford and the Hartford Police Union have asked a judge to block subpoenas issued by the city’s inspector general, heightening a clash over independent oversight of the police department.Members of the Hartford Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) authorized the inspector
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The retired San Francisco firefighter at the center of a bitter insurance fight has lost his battle against cancer.Ken Jones passed away Saturday, 14 months after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.We first told you about Jones in January — when the 17-year veteran and
Rick Poulson covers a potpourri of cases from across the country, including two involving police take-home vehicles. Cases:New Mexico Labor Relations Board Finds Police Take-Home Vehicles Policy A Mandatory Subject Of Bargaining, Village of Hatch Police Officers Ass’n v. Village of Hatch, PELRB No.
JEFFERSON CITY, MO — The Jefferson City firefighters union is bringing three Washington, D.C.-based labor attorneys to its lawsuit against the city over cuts to employee cafeteria plan benefits.Local 671, the Jefferson City firefighters union, filed a lawsuit against the city in December 2024, alleg
LOUISVILLE, KY — The Fraternal Order of Police chapter representing officers in Jefferson County is threatening legal action against the city of Louisville over the role of the Office of Inspector General in investigating Louisville Metro Police officers.In a one-page letter to Mayor Craig Greenberg
WEBB COUNTY, TX — An attorney for a Texas law enforcement union alleged retaliation and harassment inside the Webb County Sheriff’s Office tied to deputies’ political affiliations during public comment at Webb County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, May 26.John Bradshaw, a staff attorney with the Com
SALISBURY, MD — Salisbury’s fight over organized labor is headed from City Hall to the ballot box.Just moments after the City Council voted Tuesday night to repeal collective bargaining rights for more than 200 municipal employees, union supporters launched a petition drive to force the issue before
CALDWELL, ID — A Fraternal Order of Police attorney representing the employment of Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram filed a complaint with the Idaho Attorney General’s Office in March, alleging that Mayor Eric Phillips misused his official position to obstruct police investigations, according to new
Fire service leaders don’t lose sleep because the job is dangerous; we lose sleep when we know what the right move is but can’t make it. That is moral distress, and it can be heavy.The term moral distress first appeared in healthcare research decades ago to describe what happens when professionals k
HENDERSON, NV — In 2022, two Henderson police officers stood watch at a crime scene while grumbling about a labor shortage. Four years later, the complaint appeared distant to the police chief as the department touts a “near-zero” vacancy rate.The Henderson Police Department revealed training had be